John c



J. 0. FILE.

FELT BOOT.

(No Model.)

No. 279,482. Patgnted June 12,1883.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOH1\ 0. FILE, OF CHARLOTTE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN B.BELCHER, OF SAME PLACE.

FELT BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,482, dated June 12,1883,

Application filed March 14, 1883.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN 0. FILE, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Charlotte, in the county of Eaton and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FeltBoots, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention pertains to improvements in boots, more particularly feltboots, having for its object to ire-enforce and protect the boot atv theheel and instep; and it consists of re-enforcing pieces, made ofleather, cloth, rubber, or other strong flexible material, applied tothe instep and heel, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a felt bootwith my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation ofthe same, and Fig. 3 views of the ire-enforcing strips or pieces.

In putting my invention into practice I cut, preferably in the shape asshown, out of leather, rubber, cloth, or-other strong flexible material, re-enforcing pieces AB. One of these is applied to the heel andthe other to the instep of the boot, since at these points the felt hasgiven way or worn through while the other portions of the boot as yetare in good condition. These re-enforcing pieces or strips are fastenedto the boot by sewing or otherwise, and effect a great saving inboot-wear in preventing the straining and premature wear of the boot.

The auxiliary pieces B and B may be sewed orcemented to theire-enforcing pieces A and B, and all the pieces be sewed or cemented tothe boot. If the pieces are made of leather, they are sewed; but if ofcement or rubber they are either sewed or cemented to the boot.

As the upper of the boot up to the line :0 a: is formed of india-rubberor other waterproof material, it is stiffer and more unyielding than thefelt leg of the boot, and hence there is quite a wearing strain inwalking and, at the moment of putting on or taking off the boot, uponthe heel and instep thereof. This wear (No model.)

and strain soon result in causing the boot to leak and then to break atthe exposed points.

The object of my invention is to obviate this evil, first, by stiffeningand strengthening the .boot at its exposed or weak points with the'reenforcing pieces A and B; and, secondly,

by use of the auxiliary pieces B and B to prevent the boot frombreaking, the auxiliary pieces being made much stiffer or thicker thanthe re-enforcing pieces A and B. The re-enforcing piece A also protectsfrom snow or water the non-water-proof part of the boot where mostexposed to snow, water, and wear.

The re-enforcing piece A cannot be made its full size and of uniformthickness and fully accomplish its intended purpose, as it renders theboot too stiff where it is needed to be pliable, and therefore theobject can only be obtained by the use of both pieces, and especially asthe instep-pieces, in connection with the heel-pieces, serve to hold theboot in position, the heel being ire-enforced and stiffened with thepieces B and B, and the point of intersection of the foot and anklebeing thus also stiffened and re -enforced the strain is divided betweenthe heel and the instep intersection, and the boot is thus rendered notonly more durable, but affords much greater comfort to the wearer. There enforcing piece A is formed slightly larger than a correspondingopening provided in the auxiliary piece B, over which it projects, andthe two pieces A and B are pasted or sewed together, the re enforcingpieces A being secured to the boot, as aforesaid; Thus constructed, notonly is the tendency of the boot to wear and break at the instep andheel, where it is exposed to great strain, obviated; but the pressureof'the more rigid part of the boot on the higher part of the instep ispractically removed, and so diffused as to render the boot comfortableto its wearer, thus obviating the greatest objection which obtains towearing such boots, and

lacked this essential prerequisite to a serv iceable boot.

iliar )iece B as a counter substantial] was sh own and described.

In. testimony whereof I a'ffix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

Vitnesses:

JAMEs MAQKAEY, L. 0. SMITH.

rm 0. FILE.

